Portable wardrobe



Jan. 25.11927. l1,615,430

C. H. WOODRUFF PORTABLE wARDRoBE Filed Deo. 13. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wn'nesass 'NVENTOR Jan. 25,1927. l 1,615,430

' (4M. Q.r 6PM C. H. WOODRUFF PORTABLE WARDROBE Filed Decfls, 1923 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR @W ATTORNEY WITNESSES lli) Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

UNITED STATES CHRISTINE H. WOODRUFF, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PORTABLE WARDROBE.

Application filed December 13, 1923. Serial No. 680,385.

My invention relates to a wardrobe and more particularly to a collapsible and portable device within which a garment may be hung at full length and protected from dust and other sources of injury to the fabric.l

A traveller who makes a temporary stop at a mountain camp or the seashore or a city dweller who lodges in close quarters often has diiiiculty in providing ample facilities for protecting the unused garments, owing partly to a lack of suitable closet space. It also is found that clothing stored for a long time in a closet or hung in the attic for the season of dis-use gathers dust or is attacked by moths or otherwise injured through lack of adequate protection. A partial remedy for such conditions has been found in a specially prepared paper bag within which a single garment may be hung. The disadvantages inherent in such bags are obvious, among which are the easy destructibility of the paper material, the cumbersomeness of the device and the difficulty with which clothing is placed inV and removed from the protective covering. Moreover it would not ordinarily be feasible for a traveler to carry such a device nor could it be made to serve as a container for all of ones garments.

It is accordingly the main object of my invention to overcome these difficulties heretofore experienced and to provide a portable and collapsible wardrobe capable of holding a plurality of garments, which is so constructed that its inner space may be closed from the outside atmosphere sufiiciently for the ordinary protection of garments stored therein.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a simple device capable of being economically manufactured and easily assembled, which may be collapsed to a small compass and readily extended so as to hold garments of full size suspended therein.

Another object is to provide a device adapted toV be hung on a wall which will support a large number of garments suspended in extended condition therein and which will permit easy access to any garment without necessitating removal of other clotht:A still further object of my invention is to utilize the advantages inherent in a fine fabric and to make a device for storing garments largely of cloth and in the shape of a bag which is so supported on a foldable frame that the fabric may be held in dis tended position or it may be folded into a small volume for transportation and disuse.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, my invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Fig. l is an isometric view of my garment protector, with concealed parts shown in dotted outlines to indicate more clearly the construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section thereof.;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the upper suspending frame of the device when in extended and operative position; A

Fig. 4, is an elevation of the frame when folded;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the bottom frame in extended position; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the part shown in Fig. 5 when in folded position.

In accordance with my invention, I propose to utilize a cloth bagV as a garment protector and portable wardrobe and to provide in combination therewith a supporting framework arranged within the bag for suspending garments therefrom and which is so constructed as to hold the bag walls distended so that they will not cling to the garments. This framework may be employed also for suspending the bag from a wall hook or other suitable device. In my preferred form, the frame is made in two pieces, one serving to support the bag and the garments and the other acting as a weight and a frame to hold the bottom of the bag in shape.

One embodiment of my invention, may comprise a supporting Vframe member 10 constructed for suspending garments therefrom and arranged to be covered by a suitable collapsible material, sucli as cloth which is held in distended position thereby. TheV covering 12 is shaped preferably like a bag so as to form a complete enclosure for garments and in order that this bag or casing, made ordinarily of a soft and finely woven cloth, may be held distendedat its lower end, I prefer to employ a second frame 14 which may be separate from the upper bag supporting member 10. By making the two frames separate, I make it feasible to collapse the device with the frames juxtaposed liit) and the cloth folded, thus getting the device into small compass.

Since the framework of a wardrobe large enough for a number of garments may be too large l'or convenient handling, Ipreii'er also to make each frame oldable. One simple construction for the upperzframe, as shown in Fig. 8, comprises two cloth supporting` members 116`and1'7 which :are hinged centrally'ot the device so as to ffold linto half their extended area. :These members may be made ofi-metal rodslsobent as to form a horizontal frame having a hollow rectangular for' other suitable shape, dependingI onthe desired cross sectional shape of the wardrobe. They aresupported bya Jfurther Vro'd18 varranged 'to befhungfrom a wall, if desired. Across rodi19, lcentrally disposed ofthe fra1ne,serveslfor suspending garments therefrom.

One Aconvenient manner 'of ashionfingr and assembling these parts .is-to makeY theanenr bers 18 yand 19 of one piece, by bending the rod .into a substantially A'rectangularshape to form a' verticaltrame inwhich the member 19 and a further cross rod 2O are connectedfby the side elements 21 and-22, the latter continuing upwardly as the support whichhas a loop oreye 23 for hangingon a wall hook. :The other end 24 of the rod may be twisted around the `element V22 to give rigidity to the trame,

The side lmembers 16v and 17 may be hinged so as to' fold upwardly to a vertical position 'and be prevented fromV moving downwardly below a Vllfierizontal position. To this'end, I form these I'members with bends 2G andQT whichhook over the upper rod 2O and ymay be secured in such position.

VTwo humps 28 and 29 in this rod serve to holdthe outer armsBO and lfofthe frame members properly lpositioned relative to their support. rIhe opposite. side arms 32 and l'cannot move outwardly-because of interferencewith the vertical rod 18.

The outer ends of the arms 80, 31, 32 and 33 are: bent, asillustrated, in a downwardly slanting direction so as to -strike the cross rod 19 when the-members 1G land 17 are lowered to a horizontal position. Each ot these ends' S5 and eltrengages therodif) on thev same side'as is lthe member 16 or 17 to which it is attachedso as t-o permit the latter to be raised.

Clothes hangers 38, lwhich may bey of suitable construction, herein illustrated as of the Vfolding type,are to be hung on the cross rod 19, this rod being `located below the top 'of the fra-meto permit easy access thereto.

O'f the various materials which I may employ for the covering of this wardrobe, I prefer'a linely woven light weight cloth, such as silk pongee, and this cloth may be treated as desired 'by chemical or other means to render the fabric waterproof and mothiproof or otherwiseresistant to conditions which might injure the garments contained within the wardrobe. -One suitable forni of casing may be made by sewing pieces o i cloth into the shape of a rectanguprovided for the rod 18- to project upwardly theretl-irough and the turther opening 48 is provided for the loop 29 formed in the: cross rod-20. A chain Liet connecting tlieloop 29 with the ring23 on the upper end' of rod 1S serves. to support the iframe in .aj proper position when .suspended ironia wall hoek.

Inorder to permitaccess to theinterior of thewardrobe and removal of anygarment without interference with othergarments already suspended therein, I provide a. door or closure on the side ot' the dev-icc which is parallel with the cross rod. This closure 45 is :preferably made by leaving one-side of the casing looseand hinging the cloth at the-vertical'cdge 416. It is arranged to be `fastened to the :main body atthe opposite edge 4T and at its-top so as to .prevent access of dust to the inner chamber. rI prefer that the lower edge 118 besewed to the bottom sothat it `will not be necessary to Imake provision 'for excluding dust at thisl portion of the closure.

A tiap tlfastened to the top portion 41 is arranged to overlap the closure ll5. .Another fllap't is 'likewise `lformed as apart of the vertical end wall 5l. ot the .casinfgzand is '17astenedtotlie top 41-1 and the bottom |52 so as to provide a lirm support for fasteners and Jto-torm the second wall beneath the edge olf the closure Ll5 to exclude dust.

The closure 45 may be tastened to the adjacent parts of the lcasing by any suitable means, such as a fastenerb of the type used on gloves which 4con'iprises a` socket-and a'ball shaped projection that will resiliently lit therein. .Enough of these fasteners 54 are employed in spaced `relationship .on the two flans 49. and 5i and the corresponding edges or the closure 45 to linsure that the opening `will be adequately closed.

lVhile it is feasible to use the device -thus tar desc 'ibed, comprising theupper trame work and the 'cloth casing, I preferito employ the second framework 14k which will serve as a weight and hold. the: bottom ot the bag or casing properly distended. vThis member is in turn supported by the bag itself. A simple form of framework for this lower member may comprise, as illustrated in Fig. 5, two rods hinged together l i) (l and bent to form a substantially rectangularly shaped frame. These rods 55 and 56 have hooked ends 57 and 58 which are interjoined to form hinges. These are so arranged that the lower frame may Lbe folded preferably in the same direction as the upper frame. That is, a line connecting the hinges in the lower frame is parallel with the upper cross rods. I also prefer that this lower frame be fastened firmly in position in the bottom of the bag or casing, and to this end l provide the frame members 55 and 5G with loops ($0 which project downwardly through openings provided in the bottom of the bag. A tape (il or other suitable appliance is passed through these loops which project on the outside of the wardrobe and thus serves to secure the frame in position and permit its ready removal for washing the fabric covering or otherwise caring for it.

The manner of assembling the device is apparent from the drawings and above description. The upper framework is placed within the bag and the rod 18 and the hump 29 are inserted through the eyelets 4t2 and t3 prepared for that purpose. Similarly the lower frame is put in position in the bottom of the bag and tied or otherwise secured thereto and then the device is ready either for storage or for use. To obtain access to the interior of the chamber it is merely necessary to unfasten the fasteners 54 which hold the flaps 49 and 50 to the closure L5 and let the latter fall back. Then the frame members are folded up they are in the positionv shown in Figs. l and 6, and it will be obvious that in such arrangement they take up but little space. When opened out they are in the relative positions shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In view of the above disclosure, it will be evident that I have provided a very simple device which may be folded into a small compass and carried in a suitcase with the garments which are to be later protected and yet which may be extended to a large volume capable of holding a considerable amount of clothing. This device may be employed in many ways in caring for clothing. In addition to being of service to the traveller or to one in a temporary lodging, it is found highly useful by the careful housewife who wishes to protect the better garments from dust and the like which may pervade the ordinary closet or clothes press. She may, for example, suspend this portable wardrobe from one of the hooks within a closet already dedicated to the storage of clothing and thereby be enabled to hang fine and costly articles of clothing within this doubly protected space and keep them from being touched by soiled fingers or from contact with other clothing hung in the closet space which may not `be entirely imi'naculate. Other advantages in the use of this device will be apparent.

It will be obvious that various other expediente` and constructions may be employed within the scope of my invention to satisfy the functions herein described and it is to be understood that such modifications and equivalent-s as would be appa-rent to one skilled in the art are covered by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1- l. A wardrobe comprising a vertical rectangular frame, one side of which is extended 'to form a hanger therefor, and two oppositely disposed wings hinged to the upper side of the frame and arranged to form a horizontal frame, each wing having an extension which permits it to fold upwardly but is arranged to engage the lower vertical frame member when the wing is horizontal.

2. A wardrobe comprising an upper frame, a lower frame having projecting loops thereon, a fabric casing supported by the upper frame and in turn supporting the lower one, `said casing having holes through `which the loops of the lower frame project, and a tape threaded through said loo s to hold the lower frame in position within t ie casing.

3. A portable wardrobe comprising a bag having a flap covered opening arranged to permit access to the interior thereof but prevent the admission of dust, a bent wire frame having two connected cross rods, one of which serves for supporting garments within the bag, means associated therewith for suspending the frame from a wall, two separate wires bent to form wings hinged to one of the cross rods land having extensions adapted to permit the wings to fold upwardly or to engage the frame and hold the wings in an extended position to support the bag thereon and a device in the bottom of the bag to hold it distended.

Signed at New York City, New York, this 12th day of December, 1923.

CHRISTINE H. WOODRUFF. 

